The Planning Board through the Decades: George Maglaras on Dover's Transformation in the 1980s

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with George Maglaras, a long-time Dover public servant who served on the Planning Board in the 1980s, the first in a series of episodes looking back at the Planning Board over the decades. Maglaras discusses his transition from the state legislature and chairing the Community Development program to joining the Planning Board during what he calls a "transitional decade" for Dover. He explains how Dover was facing economic challenges with the decline of manufacturing jobs and vacant mills downtown.

Maglaras shares how the Planning Board under his leadership worked to change zoning ordinances to encourage adaptive reuse of historic buildings, particularly for residential use on upper floors. He discusses controversial decisions like rezoning residential neighborhoods to allow more housing units and revitalizing the Miracle Mile shopping area. Throughout the conversation, Maglaras emphasizes his vision of leveraging private investment to revitalize Dover, create housing opportunities, and keep residents spending their money locally. He notes that in the 1980s, 79% of Dover residents' disposable income was being spent outside the community.

The interview reveals Maglaras's perspective as someone with deep family roots in Dover who nonetheless pushed for progressive changes against resistance from the "old guard." After leaving the Planning Board in 1987, Maglaras was elected to the Board of County Commissioners and later served as Mayor of Dover, continuing his public service career.

In This Week in Dover History, we learn about Arthur D. Maglaras, George's uncle, who passed away in April 1987. Arthur was a city councilor and state representative known for his dedication to his constituents and held court over what some considered Dover’s “second City Hall.”